Something no one else is doing - Air Bases

[Captain Z]

After being away from Flight Sims a few years, I'm excited to get going again. I'm also happy to see that ORBX is still going strong (was just starting up when I had to leave the Flight SIm scene).

 

I can't wait to fill my sim world with ORBX scenery and airports. But one thing I've noticed since coming back, is that no one is doing Military Air Bases.

 

The common thing I've read while searching the net, is that there's no market for them, yet I see new Military Aircraft coming out from multiple developers. So there's a market for the planes, but not the scenery ?

 

If I were to pick a Dev that I would like to produce an Airbase, ORBX would certainly be my first choice. So I thought I would bring up the idea of making one in these forums.

 

I'm fairly certain every Flight Simmer out there has at least one favorite military aircraft, and probably has at least one in their collection. So I think an Airbase would be well received.

 

I also think since no one else is producing any quality Airbases, that it would open up FTX to a new customer base that hadn't considered ORBX scenery before.

 

I wouldn't expect payware level resources to be redirected or anything, but I'm hoping someone on the orbx team may be interested in testing out an AIrbase, freeware quality if need be (ORBX freeware quality puts many payware to shame, anyways).

 

With P3D already coming with military aircraft by default, and other 3rd party planes on the way, like Aerosofts F-14 Tomcat extended, AND the pending Southern Cal region.....I would suggest maybe....MIRAMAR AIR STATION ?

 

I think Fightertown U.S.A. would be a great first airbase to try, and would fit in with ORBX's upcoming region release. With not a single other developer out there making quality airbases, I really do think it would be a successful endeavor.

 

I appreciate all the hard work, and wonderful releases ORBX puts out, and I hope maybe this idea catches the interest of someone on your team. The fact that no one else is doing it already gives it a headstart. Thank you.

[Rob Newman]

I suspect (though the devs themselves could probably confirm or deny this) that the real issue with military bases is getting access to source material.

Most addon airports created for FSX or P3D, and this most certainly includes the ORBX airports, require certain resources such as high detail photographic scenery of the area and also ground based photography of buildings, not just for reference but for the actual building textures too.

I can well imagine a few raised eyebrows and hastily crafted denial letters when a team member contacted their local military base asking for permission to come and take hundreds of photographs of every building and structure from every angle

That being said, all airports, including military bases within the ORBX regional packages, are overhauled and improved as much as practical... some of the details may be generic in nature, but layouts and building locations are vastly improved over default.

[Captain Z]

I suppose this is true, and I had considered restrictions. There's a good chance that google earth and online photos of the base and it's airshows wouldn't live up to FTX quality.

 

It's one of the reasons I had suggested "freeware" quality, along with time invested to test how something would be received by the community.

 

Still, as I searched online, and saw the picture of the Fightertown U.S.A. hangar, it still filled my head with dreams of a few Airbases to fly my military planes between. 

 

I think many people (including myself) would be appreciative and happy if a little extra attention was just payed to such sites as Miramar Air Station.

 

I certainly won't suggest any extra work be done on something no Dev is interested in, but if someone thought it would be cool to make, even if it's not seperate scenery, FTX being known for having the best "represented" Airbases would still be something. 

[tjdinmaine]

yu could always just drop some recommendations on the request thread...im sure there are some covered already...KBGR is an airforce base, and is among the freeware packs..

[Captain Z]

Ah, I don't (personally) consider Bangor International Airport an Air Force Base, although there are both Air and Army National Guard aviation activities operating out of it.

 

I will check out the request thread you mentioned. Again, I don't expect ORBX to do anything they can't, or don't want to do.

 

I just noticed as I research my return to flight simming, that no one was doing it, and I figured there had to be more interest than just mine. Thank you for the info on the freeware packs, btw.

[COBS]

The airbases in FTX England are reasonably good , additionally there are a lot of freeware airbases available

for both UK and Germany.

 

Get the Steve Hess freeware "Pease" airbase available from his website it's fantastic with an awesome

amount and variety of AI aircraft. 

 

Cheers

Karol

[John Venema]

Two reasons: Security and market. 

 

Firstly, there is too much security around most air bases so there is no way to get ground level source photos. Even at some commercial airports we have been asked to change signage, telephone numbers and remove aircraft registrations. There's too much risk involved in having a super-accurate 1:1 rendition of any airport, let alone a military one.

 

Secondly, I don't believe there is a strong enough market for developing air bases for FSX/P3D since most simmers mostly fly commercial and domestic/private aircraft, especially since there are a number of combat/war simulators that cater to combat FS audiences.

 

FInally, military customers of companies like LM get bespoke air bases developed internally by LM under strict DoD security restrictions (i.e. not for public viewing, delivery to eyes-only personnel etc).

[Captain Z]

Thank you for taking the time to respond Mr. Venema.

 

All good points. And I suspected some of them would be the cause. I am sure I will survive not having Mil Bases everywhere.

 

I'll just launch my Military Aircraft out of secret caves in the desert, Air Wolf style

 

In the meantime, Shipping is confirmed on my 1TB SSD.....I can't wait to get it, install P3D, and start my ORBX collection.

 

Thank you for the hard work and amazing scenery. I may not have decided to get back into Flight Sims after all these years, if ORBX wasn't still around.

[Ripcord]

Captain Z,

ORBX is not the answer for this. Head on over to Military AI Works. Most of that stuff is developed for FS2004 but it works alright in FSX if you know how to install it. A lot of it is being converted to P3Dv2 now.

Or if you prefer, go to Avsim and search for literally ANYTHING by these two gentlemen:

John Stinstrom

Jim Dhaenens

Good luck.

[Ripcord]

Also look up Allen Laughmiller. I use a lot of this bases. In fact, I just saw that he posted Cannon AFB (NM) and JRB NAS Fort Worth v 2.3. I use probably a dozen or so of his bases.

[Captain Z]

Hi Ripcord,

 

Thank you very much for that information. I will definitely look up those 3 and see what they have available for P3D.

 

Excited to be back in Flight Simming. So many great things have appeared since I've been gone.

[Ripcord]

Won't find a ton for P3D specifically but it works. John's will be for FS9 so you might have to use ADE or something to convert it.

[thetford569]

Jim Dhaenens has an FSX version of Miramar MCAS that works in Prepar3D as well.  There are lots of military sceneries out there....it's just as simple as doing some searches at the main FS websites and also google will turn up some results. 

 

Brandon

[Captain Z]

Thank you, theford569, for the information. I will be sure to look up Jim Dhaenens work, as well.

 

I appreciate the help from everyone.

[mslim]

Jim Dhaenens has an FSX version of Miramar MCAS that works in Prepar3D as well.  There are lots of military sceneries out there....it's just as simple as doing some searches at the main FS websites and also google will turn up some results. 

 

Brandon

Yep very good.  You can't go wrong with a Jim Dhaenens airbase. 

[Guest M31]

There is Scotflight RAF Airfields for Scotland that included our country's three RAF bases, we've only got one left now after the Tory cut backs though , RAF Lossiemouth that I live a few miles from, the other two are still valid as they are Army bases and the software gives you the option to install static aircraft or not.

 

Developers can get fairly good info from Google Earth or pictures from air show days I guess? Also FSX Acceleration comes with a pretty good rendition of Edwards Air Base.

[Ripcord]

Well, I would stop short of suggesting that the 8-10 FSX hangars for Edwards AFB are going to be representative of other USAF bases, and certainly not other RAF bases.

If it is RAF bases you seek, there are some decent offerings -- starting with ACG sceneries.

http://www.airfieldconstructiongroup.org/drupal/

However, I have tried MAIW and ACG and with maybe one or two exceptions, I will tell you that I decided to stay with the ORBX FTX England/Scotland renditions. They are not replete with static aircraft (that totally do not belong in 95% of the cases) and they used good RAF style objects, just as good or better than I have found anywhere else. That said, they do lack proper parking for AI, but that can be rectified pretty easily.

At one point, I had joined up with another fellow on these forums named Gavin, and we ran thru and edited the AFCADS to add AI parking, and the results were really nice. Sometime here soon I will need to reanimate that little side project and release our work in the addon section.

[norfolk mike]

On the subject of the Airfield Construction Group, they've just made their RAF Gutersloh compatible with FSX. It has been specifically designed to blend with FTX Global (Gutersloh is in Germany), and for a freeware offering, its something pretty special! The downside for most being the fact it is a 'retro' scenery designed to be used with John Young's fantastic AI Harrier Jump Jets, which won't float everyone's boat of course.

 

Better news for the American contingent is that a modern version of USAF Lakenheath is near completion, and will of course host the resident F:15E  AI as well as blending into Orbx EU England pretty seamlessly.

[FlavioSSA]

Team SDB has a lot of air bases: http://www.flightsimstore.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=178&osCsid=ig633mslgcjsfak17t99gavat1

But beware, they don´t work at all in p3dv2.

[Guest M31]

On the subject of the Airfield Construction Group, they've just made their RAF Gutersloh compatible with FSX. It has been specifically designed to blend with FTX Global (Gutersloh is in Germany), and for a freeware offering, its something pretty special! The downside for most being the fact it is a 'retro' scenery designed to be used with John Young's fantastic AI Harrier Jump Jets, which won't float everyone's boat of course.

 

Better news for the American contingent is that a modern version of USAF Lakenheath is near completion, and will of course host the resident F:15E  AI as well as blending into Orbx EU England pretty seamlessly.

 

 

That RAF Gutersloh scenery looks great.

 

Thanks for that link, will be checking the other stuff there soon.

 

My late Dad was in the RAF and we were near there with the cold war GR1 Harriers at RAF Wildenrath from about 1972 to 75 but we actually lived at the German town of Geilenkirchen and then at the military housing on the NATO Geilenkirchen base that still exists ... some of the best memorable times of my life were from that three year tour.

 

The old RAF Wildenrath base was handed over a long time ago and is now a big Train testing base, so good use made of the old infrastructure and hangers I guess.

[norfolk mike]

RAF Wildenrath is a base the ACG have on their 'to do' list after the completion of Gutersloh, so maybe, just maybe, it'll be resurrected yet. My Father was based at Bruggen and my Wife's Father was at Gutersloh during the 1970s, so we too have a personal interest in those fields.

 

Check out the screenshots of their 'soon to be released' RAF Wattisham with the AI Phantoms (another 'retro' scenery). I can't wait for that one either!

 

As an aside, pretty much all of the NL2000 freeware airfields blend really nicely into FTX Global, as the photoreal backgrounds are more saturated in tone than the early ACG examples. Amongst those NL2000 Airfields there are a few military fields such as Soesterberg, which itself has USAF interests during the Cold War period. Again, not for everyone, but a nice compliment to the ACG Woodbridge and Bentwaters if retro military aviation is your thing.

 

The NL2000 airfields are worth checking out in their own right anyway as an additional 'FTX Global Freeware' package, as they are really nicely done, and the blends are pretty seamless.

[Guest M31]

Thanks for this, have some pics and vids of the old RAF Germany airfields I'd be happy to share with any developers.

[Ripcord]

Better news for the American contingent is that a modern version of USAF Lakenheath is near completion, and will of course host the resident F:15E  AI as well as blending into Orbx EU England pretty seamlessly.

Excellent news. We need this.

I thought I saw that they also have Ramstein on their road map - that is another one that has been done many times, but not really done that well (yet).

Good call also for the remembering the NL2000 package. I do use their military bases as my preferred, very good renditions.

There is a DAMN GOOD Bodo scenery out there with all the F-16 HAS parking out there as well. Actually I think it is in the latest Airports of Norway pack by Andrew. Some really good work by him.

[Ripcord]

Oh wait, what I am thinking of!!?? For the RAAF crowd, we have to mention Anthony's freeware airport packs, Darwin and Tindal in particular. Those are outstanding. Wish he would do Amberley and Richmond and the rest.